RAMPS: NATURAL HISTORY AND SUSTAINABILITY
Ramps along the Kimsey Creek Trail between Deep Gap and
Standing Indian Campground
The ramp is a perennial spring ephemeral herb that is broadly distributed in eastern North America from the Southern Appalachians to southern Québec and as far west as the eastern portions of the Dakotas (see Ramp Distribution Map). In the Southern Appalachians, it is commonly associated with cove and northern hardwood forests (Rock 1996) and is often found on moist colluvial slopes, depressions, and stream side bluffs (Jones 1979). Ramps are commonly found between 3500 and 4500 ft in elevation (1070-1370 m) but have been found as high as 5390 ft (1640 m) in our study. Tree species commonly associated with ramps include Buckeye (Aesculus flava), Sugar Maple(Acer saccharum), Yellow Birch (Betula allegheniensis), Yellow Poplar(Liriodendron tulipifera), Black Cherry(Prunus serotina), Beech(Fagus grandifolia), basswood (Tilia americana), striped maple(Acer pensylvanicum) and many others.
Dutchmen's Britches Squirrel Corn
Trout Lily
Spring ephemeral herbs commonly associated with ramps include spring beauty (Claytonia caroliniana), squirrel corn (Dicentra canadensis), Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), Stinking Willie(Trillium erectum), trout lily(Erythronium Umbellicatum), foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia), wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia), and dwarf ginseng (Panax trifolium). Other common herbaceous associates blooming mostly in summer include Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), Black cohosh(Actaea racemosa), blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides), dolls eyes (Actaea pachypoda), , false hellebore (Melanthium parviflorum ), Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum and P. pubescens), Yellow mandarin (Prosartes lanuginosum), Christmas fern (Polystichum acroisticroides), wood nettle (Laportea canadensis) and many others.
Trillium erectum (purple form) Trillium erectum (pale yellow form)
Typically, ramp leaves first appear as early as late February, with the photosynthetic phase lasting through mid-May. Leaf senescence occurs with tree canopy leaf out, by which time the flowering stalk has begun to emerge (Rock 1996). Flowers bloom in June and July and seeds ripen by late summer, requiring a year of dormancy before germinating (Nault and Gagnon 1993).
Early ramps – middle of March
Most systematists agree that there are two distinct taxa of ramps, but disagree about the taxonomic level for distinction. Hanes and Owenby (1946; Hanes 1953) recognized two varieties of ramps, Allium tricoccum Aiton var. tricoccum and var. burdickii Hanes, but more recently, Jones (1979) recognized the taxa as two separate species. Jones made this determination after examining herbarium specimens throughout the species’ range and conducting detailed studies on populations in Illinois. Allium tricoccum is larger and has more flowers than A. burdickii, and often has a red-pigmented scape and petiole. A. tricoccum usually forms extensive colonies whereas A. burdickii occurs in scattered small clumps of 3-12 individuals (Jones 1979). These species bloom at different times, which serve as a phenological barrier to hybridization (Jones 1979). While most botanists, ramp diggers and other ramp enthusiasts acknowledge seeing both white and red stemmed ramps in the Southern Appalachians, these may only be color variants of the same species (A. tricoccum). For a more detailed review of the status of A. burdickii (Kauffman 2001), click on A. burdickii status . Based on field and herbarium work by our research unit, Gary Kauffman (Botanist, Nantahala National Forest), Dave Danley (Botanist, Pisgah National Forest) and Jame Amoroso (Botanist, NC Natural Heritage Program), there is no consistent evidence available to verify the presence of A. burdickii in North Carolina as a species morphologically distinct from A. tricoccum . According to Jame Amoroso and Gary Kauffman, the rank of A. burdickii in North Carolina has recently been changed from SR (significantly rare), to W3, (reported for North Carolina but without adequate documentation).
Hauling ramps after a big harvest Happy Ramping….
A small “mess” of ramps
Ramps are historically and culturally important to the people of the Southern Appalachians. Ramps were important to the Native Americans that first lived in this region and to the first european settlers. Today a wide variety of people dig ramps for a variety of reasons. For many, it is a highly valued tradition to go to the woods in the early spring and dig a “mess” of ramps. Ramps function for many as a spring “tonic”. Having a strong flavor, somewhere between garlic and onion, ramps add a distinctive flavor to any dish. In the Southern Appalachians, collectors harvest ramps for personal consumption, for ramp festivals, or for commercial sale at farmers markets, roadside stands and gourmet restaurants. Ramp festivals are very popular springtime fund-raising events throughout the Southern Appalachians. The European counterpart to ramps, the old world ramson or bear leek, Allium ursinum, is widespread in Europe and is used medicinally.
Are current levels of ramp harvest sustainable? We don’t know . National Forests are required to maintain biological diversity and to assure sustainable harvests of forest products, including perennial herbs used for food or medicinal purposes. Anecdotal evidence suggests that ramp populations in some areas of the Southern Appalachians have declined. Biologists working for Federal and state agencies (USDA Forest Service, USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, and North Carolina Department of Agriculture) and The Nature Conservancy are concerned that populations of ramps are declining in some areas of the Appalachians. Ongoing research by Southern Research Station Scientists is trying to address these concerns. For more information on our research efforts, click on link below.
More related links of interest...
References Cited:
Hanes, C.R. 1953. Allium tricoccum Ait., var burdickii, var nov. Rhodora 55:243.
Hanes, C.R. and Owenby, M. 1946. Some observations on two ecological races of Allium tricoccum in Kalazoo County, Michigan. Rhodora 48:61-63.
Jones, A.G. 1979. A study of wild leek, and the recognition of Allium burdickii (Liliaceae). Systematic Botany 4:29-43.
Kauffman, Gary L. Spring 2001. Allium burdickii in the southern Appalachians: Does it exist and how rare is it? Chinquapin 9(1).
Nault, A. and Gagnon, D. 1993. Ramet demography of Allium tricoccum, a spring ephemeral, pernnial forest herb. Journal of Ecology 81:101-119.
Rock, J. 1996. The impact of harvesting ramps (Allium tricoccum Ait.) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Report, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 107 Park Headquarters Rd., Gatlinburg, TN 37738.